Teenage Rebellion
by Kristen3
Summary: After David gets in trouble at school because his friends had a joint, Niles tells him the story of the time his father got high on a brownie. One-shot.


**Author's Note:** This idea came to me after watching "High Holidays" and wondering how Niles would handle the "drugs" talk with his son. Just a little story without much plot. :)

"I'm very disappointed in you," Niles said to his son as they drove home from school.

In the passenger's seat, David could only look down. He didn't know what to say. He was in big trouble this time. Some of his friends had been caught in possession of a joint of marijuana, and although there was no evidence David had any, the school decided to call his parents as a precaution.

For the rest of the ride home, both were silent. But as soon as they parked, Niles spoke again. "Do you KNOW what would happen if you did something like that? You could be expelled, David. And then how would you go to college? Did you ever think about that?!"

"Well, I told the guys I didn't want any, but they did. I mean, I sort of didn't think it was that big of a deal," David said.

"'Not that big of a deal'? David, I'm a psychiatrist. I've seen patients who've had their whole lives ruined because of an addiction. They lose jobs, marriages, you name it. It's not a path you want to go down."

"I know," David said, hanging his head. But he couldn't help muttering under his breath. "What do you know about drugs? I know _you've_ never tried them."

Niles heard his son's comment. "You're right, I haven't. But I can tell you who has. Your grandfather."

"Wait, you mean, Grandpa? The retired cop? You're telling me HE did pot?!" David asked in disbelief. "I know you're trying to scare me out of doing drugs, but do you really expect me to believe Grandpa smoked pot?!"

Niles nodded. "Technically, he didn't smoke it. It was a simple misunderstanding. You see, your cousin Freddie was visiting from Boston. He was going through a rebellious stage, and that got me thinking about how I'd never really done anything even remotely rebellious. It was shortly before you were born. I thought maybe I should experience what it was like to do something outrageous at least once before I became a father."

"What'd you do?" David asked. He'd never known his father to so much as run a stop sign, much less break the law.

"Well, I managed to talk Roz into getting me a 'special' brownie. That was going to be my way of rebelling. But there was a mixup, and she gave the brownie to your grandfather. He didn't know it wasn't a normal brownie, so he ate it, and then got me one from Nervosa to replace it."

"Wow," David said. "Did Grandpa get high?"

Niles laughed. "Yes. He was talking nonsense about a dog army, and eating strange food. I didn't notice how odd he was acting, because I thought _I_ had taken the brownie with the pot in it. When Frasier found out the truth, I was so ashamed. If your grandfather had gotten behind the wheel..."

"Wow," David repeated. "You did all of that, just so you could rebel?"

"Yes. I see now that it was ridiculous. Trust me, David, the consequences of something like this just aren't worth it."

"I guess you're right. I figured as long as I didn't actually do anything, it was no big deal. I didn't want to turn anybody in."

"You don't want your friends to ruin their lives, all because they think it's 'cool' to get high, do you?"

"No," David admitted. "I'm sorry, Dad. I know I really messed up."

Niles knew he should ground his son, just to make sure he learned his lesson. But David was basically a good kid. His story seemed to have gotten the message across. "I know," he finally said. "Your mother's not going to be happy, but I think she can understand that you've made a mistake."

David breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wasn't going to be punished. He still couldn't believe that his grandfather, a retired cop, had tried pot before. Knowing the story somehow made him respect his father more. After all, it was clearly not an incident Niles took pride in. And yet, he'd told the story anyway.

They both got out of the car and prepared to make their way into the building. "You know, Dad, even if rebelling didn't exactly work out, I still think you're OK," David said.

"Thank you, son. I'm very proud of you, and I know you have a bright future ahead of you someday. I would hate to see you throw it all away."

David knew his father wanted him to go to college and study psychiatry, or some other field of science. He still hadn't figured out yet if that was what _he_ wanted to do, though. "Don't worry, Dad. Besides, before I can play pro sports, they'll want me to pass a drug test anyway." He grinned, knowing this was the last thing his father expected him to say.

"Yeah, very funny, son," Niles said. "Just get inside." He thought back to his attempt at being 'bad.' He had thought it was yet another thing from his past that he'd rather forget. But now, the experience had helped him be a better father. Wasn't that his goal all along?

 **The End**


End file.
